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ABRASIVES 101

COATED ABRASIVES

We know how important it is for you to obtain the best finishes in all your jobs. That’s why we recognize the importance of being able to count on the right selection of abrasives that will guarantee longer life and improved production times, while avoiding rework and large material waste.

For that reason, as sandpaper and coated abrasives experts, at FANDELI we always seek to guide you in the selection and best practices of abrasive products use.

FANDELI products are made up of three basic elements:

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Backing

This can be flexible, semi-rigid or rigid depending on the material used as the backing. The materials used by FANDELI include paper, cloth, vulcanized fiber, plastic films, and combinations of cloth and paper.

Layer of abrasive grains (mineral)

Each type of abrasive grit has unique properties. The selection of the best grits requires close attention to the type of material and its performance in real working conditions.

The types of abrasives used in order of hardness are Ceramic Alumina, Silicon Carbide, Zirconium Alumina, Aluminum Oxide and Emery.

Adhesive Coating

Adhesive that keeps mineral selection and backing fixed.

The most common forms of coated abrasives are

Sheets, Discs, Rolls, Bands Belts, flap wheels, specialties and nonwovens non-wovens.

TYPES OF COATED ABRASIVES

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SILICON CARBIDE

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Silicon Carbide

This synthetic abrasive has a characteristically shiny black color (iridescent). It is the sharpest and hardest material used in coated abrasives. Fast and aggressive material removal is obtained with excellent results on non-ferrous metals such as aluminum, bronze, magnesium and titanium, in addition to other materials such as leather, rubber, glass, plastics, paints and enamels.

Silicon carbide has the ability to penetrate and cut under light pressures, producing excellent results in the settling and final finishing of primers, automotive lacquers and sealants.

FANDELI Silicon Carbide Lines:A090, A-99, B-99, C-99, F-98, E-93, E-96, H-98, Q-99, R-98, S-99, W-98, X-91, X-98, Y-98, Z096, ZF98.

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ALUMINA ZIRCONIA

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Alúmina Zirconia

 

It is a mixture of Zirconium Oxide and Aluminum Oxide, characterized by a crystalline structure, robust and compact grains, high hardness and extreme aggressiveness. When used under high operating pressures, the grains fracture creating new edges.

It provides superior performance on a wide variety of materials under high pressures.

It is recommended for heavy sanding operations in the metalworking industry, especially in sanding stainless steel, and for heavy sanding of carbon steel, hard bronzes, special alloys and cast iron.

FANDELI Zirconia Alumina Lines:G-18, R013, R-13, S-18 y S-19.

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WHITE ALUMINUM OXIDE

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White Aluminum Oxide

High hardness synthetic abrasive, characterized by the long life of its cutting edges.

It is recommended for sanding all types of wood and for general use.

FANDELI White Aluminum Oxide Lines: K-61.

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PREMIUM ALUMINUM OXIDE

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Premium Aluminum Oxide

 

Synthetic mineral that results from the fusion of aluminum oxide treated at high temperatures, improving its hardness and friability. This process ensures that the cutting edges maintain their cutting capacity during operations, allowing sanding at low temperatures, resulting in a long product life and reduced costs.

It is used for the sanding of high-tenacity materials such as high carbon steel and hard bronzes. It is also very effective for heavy sanding of many low-tenacity materials such as gray iron, low carbon steel, aluminum, hardwoods, and brass.

FANDELI Premium Aluminum Oxide Lines:A080, B080, D080, E080, F084, G-88, JF88, R-88, W-88, X-88, XR88, Y088, Y-88, X088, E088, XL88, C-89 y PF80

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BROWN ALUMINUN OXIDE

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Brown Aluminum Oxide

 

It is a mineral formed by large, extremely hard pyramidal crystals, designed to penetrate materials at high speeds without exhibiting excessive fractures.

It is extremely functional in intermediate sanding tasks, mild tool steels, bronzes and soft woods. It is highly effective for heavy sanding of low-tenacity materials.

FANDELI Brown Aluminum Oxide Lines:

E-83, J-86,  D081, JF87, X-86, J-74, C081

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EMERY

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Emery

 

Synthetic emery is a common Aluminum Oxide mixed with small amounts of Ferric Oxide, giving it high durability. Emery is recommended for manual sanding of ferrous and non-ferrous metals.

 

FANDELI Emery Lines:J-73.

manual de metales ferrosos y no ferrosos.

Líneas FANDELI de Esmeril: J-73.

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CERAMIC

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Ceramic

 

This high-performance abrasive offers excellent sanding results for metalworking jobs. It is effective on stainless steel, special alloys, titanium and high-tenacity hardened steels. Offers higher sanding than standard Aluminum Oxide products. Ceramic products require high pressures to obtain excellent results.

FANDELI Ceramic Lines: S-20.

BACKINGS

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PAPER

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Paper

 

Paper backings used for coated abrasives are highly specialized, designed to meet exact specifications and to ensure essential physical properties such as finish, tensile strength, adhesion and flexibility. Lightweight papers are designed for intermediate and fine sanding. For waterproof sandpaper, it is recommended that sanding always be done while wet. Heavy papers are strong and some have antistatic properties.

PAPER is used by weight  “A”, “C”, “D”, “E” y “F”.

“A” weight is light and flexible.

“C” and “D” weights are stronger and less flexible.

“E” and “F” weights are even stronger, primarily for rolls, belts and discs where high tear resistance is required.

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CLOTH

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Cloth

 

Cloth backings provide greater strength and flexibility than paper, supporting the strength of the job during use.

“J” weights are for lighter and more flexible fabrics, used when smooth and homogeneous finishes are more important than sanding.

“X” weights are high friction.

“W” weights are waterproof and very flexible.

“R” and “Y” weights are blends of cotton and polyester fabrics, and are designed for work under high pressures.

“S” weights are heavy, stretch-resistant fabrics made of high-strength polyester fabrics suitable for segmented belts with lengths exceeding 1,400mm (55”) wide.

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PAPER AND CLOTH COMBINATIONS

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Paper and Cloth Combinations

 

They are produced by laminating lightweight fabrics and high-resistance papers. They are designed for use with drum sanders in aggressive floor sanding operations.

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VULCANIZED FIBER

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Vulcanized Fiber

 

Fiber backings are made up of multiple layers of resin-coated paper.

These backings are very strong and resistant. The backings with a thickness of 0.030”used by Fandeli are the strongest. They’re used for resin discs for heavy sanding operations with portable machines.

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PLASTIC FILM

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Plastic Film

 

This type of backing works in humid environments, will obtain better finishes, and compared to light papers, will provide better performance and greater resistance.

SHAPES

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SHEETS

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Sheets

 

Abrasive sheets are the most common presentation of coated abrasives. Standard sheet sizes are 230 x 280mm (9″ x 11″). They are designed to be used manually as well as with rectangular sanders. Sheets can be selected and used in hard-to-reach areas, which is why they are also available in 1/4, 1/3 and 1/2 sheet sizes, providing economical manual and portable sanding operations.

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VULCANIZED FIBER DISC

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Vulcanized Fiber Discs

 

These discs are made with resistant vulcanized fiber backings, available in different diameters and with center holes. They can be mounted on common electrical and pneumatic machines.

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ROLLS

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Rolls

 

Abrasive rolls are available with paper or cloth backings. Widths range from 9mm (3/8″) to 1,372mm (54″), with lengths from 20m (22 yd) to 91m (100 yd).

One of their main benefits is that they allow the end user to cut and use the exact amount required for mechanical or manual applications. It is used in various machinery and manual applications.

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SANDING DISCS

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Sanding Discs

 

The discs are made of paper or cloth backing with attachment system like GRIPIT or PSA. They exhibit excellent performance when used with portable machines, and are ideal for fine and micro-finish intermediate finishing operations. Larger diameters are typically used on stationary sanders to size and finish metal and wood parts.

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BELTS

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Portable, Narrow, Wide and Segmented Belts

 

The ends of these abrasive belts are joined at specific angles to offer continuous abrasive belts. The widths range from 6mm (1/4”) to 3,430mm (135”), while their length ranges from 203mm (8”) to 25m (27 yd). They are designed to be used with portable or stationary machines, such as pedestal sanders with horizontal plates or multiple heads, among others. Its main application is in series production processes where high performance and productivity are crucial.

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DISCS

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Discos

 

Resin fiber discs. We carry a line of RFDs ranging from 4″ in diameter to 51 x 8″, in either premium Aluminum Oxide or Zirconia Alumina coating

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WHEELS

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Flap Wheels and Mini Flap Wheels with and without Stem

These products are ideal for sanding and polishing flat or curved surfaces, small parts, and concave or convex cavities in the metalworking and wood industries. Also used for internal cleaning of metal tubes from 1” in diameter.

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ESPECIALTIES

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Especialidades

These are abrasive products in a wide variety of shapes and designs, such as abrasive body files, cones, drums and abrasive sleeves, detail sanding sheets, non-slip strips, quick-change discs, sanding sponges, and many more.

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SOLID ABRASIVES

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Otros tipos de productos abrasivos

 

FANDELI offers a wide variety of abrasive products such as cutting discs, mounted tips, FLAP discs, abrasive fibers, pads, conditioning discs and belts.

CLASSIFICATION STANDARDS

CLASSIFICATION STANDARDS

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FEPA graduation is recommended for surface preparation and JIS graduations for finishing processes

Abrasive graduation systems

 

The size of the abrasive grits is one of the most important factors in selecting a product. Abrasives standards are defined by three different graduation standards: ANSI (American National Standard Institute), FEPA (Federation of European Producers of Abrasives) and JIS (Japanese International Standard).

The following table indicates and compares the average grit size in microns at each graduation standard. A simplified graduation system is included, as well as the type of operations recommended for each grade.

This graph shows the five basic types of operations with their corresponding rating:

ABRASIVE GRADUATION SYSTEMS

GRADES

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